Insurance company claims departments employ a large number of claims adjusters supported by a staff of records management and data entry clerks. Incoming claims are classified based on severity and are assigned to adjusters whose settlement authority varies with their knowledge and experience. The adjuster undertakes an investigation of each claim, usually in close cooperation with the claimant, determines if coverage is available under the terms of the insurance contract, and if so, the reasonable monetary value of the claim, and authorizes payment. Because it is labor intensive, high costs are associated with the manual claims process using human beings and the delays and/or inconsistencies that can arise from human judgment, especially when claims adjusters have varying levels of experience.